Colorado movie gunman could face death penalty

Jury in Denver clears way for James Holmes to receive death penalty for killing 12 moviegoers in 2012 shooting spree. Sean Carberry reports.

▲ Hide Transcript

▶ View Transcript

STORY:
Colorado has executed one prisoner since 1977.
Convicted movie theater shooter James Holmes could be number two.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) ARAPAHOE COUNTY DISTRICT COURT JUDGE CARLOS SAMOUR, SAYING:
"Will the defendant please stand for the reading of the phase two sentencing verdicts."
Arapahoe County District Court Judge Carlos Samour presided over today's preliminary sentencing verdict.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) ARAPAHOE COUNTY DISTRICT COURT JUDGE CARLOS SAMOUR, SAYING:
"Juror number seven thirty seven, the foreperson, are these your phase two sentencing verdicts and the jury's phase two sentencing verdicts? Yes."
After a half day of deliberating, the jury found that mitigating factors presented by the defense did not outweigh the aggravating factors of Holmes' crimes.
That means in their next phase of deliberations, which begins tomorrow, they will debate whether Holmes should die by lethal injection.
In July of 2012 Holmes opened fire at a midnight screening of the Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises" in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12.
Last month, the Jury found Holmes guilty of 165 criminal counts, including multiple counts of first degree murder.
The defense argued that Holmes was suffering from schizophrenia, but the jury rejected that claim during the trial and sentencing phases.

Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest international multimedia news provider reaching more than one billion people every day. Reuters provides trusted business, financial, national, and international news to professionals via Thomson Reuters desktops, the world's media organizations, and directly to consumers at Reuters.com and via Reuters TV. Learn more about Thomson Reuters products: